Elijah Hise Norton (November 21, 1821 – August 6, 1914) was a

U.S. congressman The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

from

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

during the

United States Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), which was formed in 1861 by states that had seceded ...

Biography

He was born in Russellville, Logan County, Kentucky, November 21, 1821 and attended the public schools and

Centre College Centre College, formally Centre College of Kentucky, is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Danville, Kentucky, United States. Chartered by the Kentucky General Assembly in 1819, the col ...

Danville, Kentucky Danville is a list of Kentucky cities, home rule-class city and the county seat of Boyle County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 17,236 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Danville is the principal city of the Danville Micr ...

He graduated from the law department of

Transylvania University Transylvania University is a private university in Lexington, Kentucky, United States. It was founded in 1780 and is the oldest university in Kentucky. It offers 46 major programs, as well as dual-degree engineering programs, and is Higher educ ...

Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city coterminous with and the county seat of Fayette County, Kentucky, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census the city's population was 322,570, making it the List of ...

, in 1842 and was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in

Platte City, Missouri Platte City is a city in and the county seat of Platte County, Missouri, United States. The population was 4,784 at the 2020 census. The city is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. History Platte City was founded by Zadock "Zed" Mar ...

, in 1845. He served as county attorney in 1850 and judge of the circuit court of Missouri 1852–1860. Prior to the

, Elijah served as an outspoken voice against Missouri's secession from the Union. He was a member of the Missouri Constitutional Convention of 1861, where he voted against secession. He was elected as a Democrat to the Thirty-seventh Congress (March 4, 1861 – March 3, 1863), where, despite his opposition to his state's secession, he opposed waging war against the Confederacy to preserve the Union, believing that "it would be better for all concerned to let the seceding states depart in peace" He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1862 to the Thirty-eighth Congress. He was a delegate to the state constitutional convention in 1875, and was one of the primary authors of the Missouri Constitution of 1875. The Missouri Constitution of 1875 sometimes was informally called "Norton's Constitution" due to his major influence over its content and his knowledge of constitutional law. Elijah was subsequently appointed and then elected as judge of the

Supreme Court of Missouri The Supreme Court of Missouri (SCOMO) is the highest court in the state of Missouri. It was established in 1820 and is located at 207 West High Street in Jefferson City, Missouri. Missouri voters have approved changes in the state's constituti ...

, serving from 1877 to 1888. After his judicial term was over, he was urged to run for Missouri governor and for United States Senator from Missouri, but he declined. He then resumed the private practice of law and the care of his estate and died in Platte City, August 6, 1914. His interment was in Platte City Cemetery. He was a devout baptist, and at the time of his death was the oldest living Freemason in the United States.

William Harrison Norton William Harrison Norton (1920-2000) was a well-known Missouri lawyer and state representative of Missouri during the 1950s. He was the great-grandson of United States Congressman and Missouri Supreme Court Judge Elijah Hise Norton. In 1948, Norto ...

was his great-grandson.

References

External links

Retrieved on 2009-03-18 {{DEFAULTSORT:Norton, Elijah 1821 births 1914 deaths Missouri state court judges Judges of the Supreme Court of Missouri People of Missouri in the American Civil War Centre College alumni Transylvania University alumni Missouri lawyers People from Russellville, Kentucky Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Missouri People from Platte City, Missouri 19th-century Missouri state court judges 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives